The meaning of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ISOTON

[Mike DiCenso]

Unfortunately your cited webpage does not differentiate between "searching for engine parts" versus actual "fuel shortages". Concerning bussard ramscoops, even those quickly reach a point of diminishing returns with regards to collecting interstellar hydrogen or deuterium, ect, and converting at least some portion of that into antimatter.
-Mike

[Jedi Master Spock]

Perhaps I should have... it was quite long already, and I was mostly concerned with lack of fuel and parts together, but that is a good distinction to make.

However, at least half of those were talking about fuel shortages.

The ramscoops help a bit, although they can't do much compared to peak warp consumption. I'm not sure if Voyager even has them, though - AFAIK, the Galaxy class is the only one we've heard referenced as having them.

[Mike DiCenso]

I believe bussard ramscoops are referenced being on Voyager in "Flashback", "The Haunting of Deck Twelve", and "Unforgettable". If nothing else, visually the front end of Voyager's warp nacelles have red glowing cap structures very similar to the previously identified ramscoop structures on the E-D.
-Mike

[SailorSaturn13]

Dilithium's role has been inconsistant since TOS. In some episodes it seems as though the ship's only source of power was the crystals, rather than fusion or antimatter. In others, the dilithium's role is far less clear, only hints being tossed about that it is used to regulate the reaction of the matter and antimatter.

AFAIK, dilithiumcontrols reaction by being prone to antimatter. That's why it breaking would generate an explosion.

[Mr. Oragahn]

Well, I'll see if in my late table, it fits or not. Considering that many think it's suspicious, or, more precisely, open to error, I'll try to find a way to leave it out.

[vivftp]

The meaning of isoton? Well the prefix "iso" means equal to or one, so the term itself should mean "equal to one ton". Now today we use TNT as the baseline for this sort of thing, so by todays definition it would mean equal to one ton of TNT. That doesn't jive with calcs that've been done though.

The theory I've been running with for a while now is that they don't use TNT as their baseline anymore in the 24th century. The most common explosive I've seen used in Trek is ultritium explosives, which are apparently used by everyone. My guess is whatever an isoton is, it's equal to 1 ton of ultritium explosves of a certain grade.

[Mr. Oragahn]

The meaning of isoton? Well the prefix "iso" means equal to or one, so the term itself should mean "equal to one ton". Now today we use TNT as the baseline for this sort of thing, so by todays definition it would mean equal to one ton of TNT. That doesn't jive with calcs that've been done though.

The theory I've been running with for a while now is that they don't use TNT as their baseline anymore in the 24th century. The most common explosive I've seen used in Trek is ultritium explosives, which are apparently used by everyone. My guess is whatever an isoton is, it's equal to 1 ton of ultritium explosves of a certain grade.

The explanations for what an isoton is are endless, from the most simple one (raw yields... of what? where?) to complex effects in certain conditions.
Even megatons really looses its meaning in space.

A 42 deck high malon export vessel can carry up to 4 trillon isotons of anti-matter waste. That is, antimatter byproducts (are they anymore explosive?) which emit theta radiations. The shit in Trek, as it messes up with sensors, subspace and warp fields, and kills people.
This time, it sounds like it's directly used an unit of mass.

I was retyping my own scale, trying to use an averaged 60 MT yield for a Class 6 torpedo (from your calcs), but I realize that this just didn't fit, notably with the Jem'Ha'Dar's ultritium concussion shells.

Besides, at some point on page three, I ended on the following ratio:
"32.22 MT = 80 IT, ergo 1 IT = 400 kilotons."

This, of course, requires that a Class 6 torpedo has a yield of 200 IT, ergo 80 MT.
I considered too short for Rise, but now, seeing to the latest calcs vivtfp did, it could actually be more than enough to vapourize the asteroid.

Besides, the higher the ratio, the less sense the asteroid explosion scene makes, cause it's impossible to deny the existence of former smaller explosions, which is something which gets worst to explain as you pump up the yields.

It's not getting better when looking at the extent of the destruction by omega particles on the surface of a planet. The initial explosion, of at least one particle, if not several of them (can't remember) barely left a crater in lieu of the base. Clearly not even a megaton level event. And yet it would require tens of isotons to destroy them. Uh-huh.

The advantage of the small ratio above is that it also made sense regarding the 25 IT yield. Even if its source is disputable, this left a yield of 10 megatons, enough to destroy a major city within seconds

It is possible that yields are based on ultritum, if ultritium is much more effective in terms of release of hard radiations for standard destructive purposes, notably against spaceships.

[Picard]

Ups... posted this on photon torpedo do 690 gt thread:

"As for isoton, I think it is just equivalent of "ton" in modern world - but in ST you would have "Ferengi ton", "Klingon ton" etc. so Federation tons, based on modern tons, are called ISOtons. So we only need to calculate explosive energy of one ton of ultrilitium (by far most common chemical explosive in ST, so I think it is reasonable to assume explosive "tons" are based on it) and we're halfway done. One of reasons I think ISO-ton is same as metric ton is in Voyager - they need "isograms" of this, "isotons" of that, and it would make no sense if isoton is some unit exclusively for measuring weapon yields.

However, there is one problem - from "A time to stand" we can get 1 isoton to be equivalent to 1 kiloton (give or take half of kiloton). But given that standard photon torpedoes are in megaton, even gigaton range, it would not make sense. So again, we're stuck with reactant mass, with 1 isoton of ultrilithium being 1 kiloton, and 1 isoton in torpedo yield being 21.4 gigatons."

Actually, such explosive power would make some sense, given that we regularly see multi-gigaton explosions on ST.

[Who is like God arbour]

I like the idea that ISO is something like Interplanetary Organization for Standardization. In that case, we would neither know, how many Earth-tonnes an ISO-ton is nor what explosive they are referring to. I mean, it is very anthropocentric to assume, that the whole UfP and its Starfleet would use the old Earth units of measurement and TNT.

[Mith]

I just go with the TMs; 1 isoton equals 2.48 megatons.

[Lucky]

I just go with the TMs; 1 isoton equals 2.48 megatons.

But, the TM bluntly says it contains false information.

[Picard]

Heh... per TM 200-isoton torpedo would be 496 megatons. Per my calculations for episode "Pegasus", photon torpedoes are 542 megatons low-end.

[Lucky]

Heh... per TM 200-isoton torpedo would be 496 megatons. Per my calculations for episode "Pegasus", photon torpedoes are 542 megatons low-end.

Why would 200-Isotons be 496 megatons instead of 542 megatons?

Is it possible that 200-Isotons is simply 500 megatons by you calculations? Both 496 and 542 do not seem very far apart, but then I was never very good at math.

[Picard]

Per Technical Manual, 1 isoton is 2.48 megatons. 200 x 2.48 = 496.

Is it possible that 200-Isotons is simply 500 megatons by you calculations?

Definetly.

[Mith]

I just go with the TMs; 1 isoton equals 2.48 megatons.

But, the TM bluntly says it contains false information.

I highly doubt that the TM is bullshitting us about the meaning of isoton. It would be like misusing watts for the sake of fooling your enemies. It's entirely stupid.